Liam Dickson, 33, a PhD student in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, hailing from Toronto, is attending Parliament to present his biosciences research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of STEM for BRITAIN on Monday 7th March.
Liam doing fieldwork
Liam’s poster on research about using aerial drones to conserve the breeding aggregations of threatened loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) will be judged against dozens of other scientists’ research in the only national competition of its kind.
Liam was shortlisted from hundreds of applicants to appear in Parliament.
On presenting his research in Parliament, Liam said:
“In the face of climate change, understanding the factors driving the distributions of marine wildlife is vital to quantify the impacts of human activities, with emerging tech such as aerial drones providing a novel approach for ecologists to bridge the gap between science and policy. I am excited for this opportunity to spread awareness of the important ecological research being performed by UK researchers across institutions and make this scientific field more accessible to policymakers.”
Stephen Metcalfe MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said:
“This annual competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers.
“These early career engineers, mathematicians and scientists are the architects of our future and STEM for BRITAIN is politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”
Liam’s research has been entered into the biosciences session of the competition, which will end in a gold, silver and bronze prize-giving ceremony.
Judged by leading academics, the gold medalist receives £1500, while silver and bronze receive £1000 and £750 respectively.
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, The Physiological Society and the Council for the Mathematical Sciences, with financial support from Dyson, Clay Mathematics Institute, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Society of Chemical Industry, the Nutrition Society, Institute of Biomedical Science, the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, the Biochemical Society and IEEE UK & Ireland Section
For further information about the event, images, or interview opportunities, please contact Liam Dickson:
Tel: +44 (0)7477678489
E-mail: l.c.d.dickson@qmul.ac.uk